6 Tips to Make Your Home Insurance Claim Settlement EASY
For a large number of people, a home is one of their lives’ biggest investments. Therefore, many people buy home insurance so that they have financial assistance if anything unfortunate were to happen to their house. However, when such an event does strike, many tend to get panicked and do not know how to proceed. Though they may know how to raise a claim, they forget the intricacies and important bits of advice that can make their claim process go smoother. To help out those in such situations, we take a look at 6 tips that can speed up your home insurance claim settlement.
- Always contact the police first
In cases of theft, vandalism, rioting, and so on, the police have to be informed the first thing. Give accurate information about the event to the police and get a copy of the First Information Report. You are going to require it during the claim process.
- Gather as much evidence of the event as you can
When your house undergoes any adverse event and suffers damages, you may be tempted to set things straight right away. However, avoid doing that; keep the house the way it was after the damages. Take photographs of all the places where the damages are visible. For instance, if a thief has damaged your gate or ruined your cupboard, do not call a repairman until you have clicked the photos and the insurer has assessed the damages.
- Create and share your home inventory
At the end of every year, attempt to create an inventory of all the valuable items in your home. This includes furniture, jewellery, decor art, domestic and electronic appliances, and so on. Share this inventory with the general insurance company you have purchased your home insurance from.
- Inform the insurer as soon as possible
The sooner you inform the insurance company, the better. Many general insurance providers have a time frame within which you are expected to raise a claim when required. If you surpass the time frame, your claim may be rejected. If the incident has happened at night, for instance, call the insurance company the next morning. Some insurers may even be available at night.
- Store your insurance documents in a safe place
It is quite natural that many people would store their home insurance documents at their home itself. However, if an event like a fire or an explosion were to happen, it may lead to the documents getting damaged or totally lost. Therefore, keep your insurance papers in a place where they will be safe even if anything happens to your house. Additionally, you may also keep virtual copies of the documents as well.
- Collect all the bills/invoices of important items
The bills of all the items that you may want to get compensation for during a claim will have to be saved properly. You will have to provide them to the insurer to get the claim settlement process going. If there has been a repair on any of those items, keep those bills as well. Advisably, store all of them in one place with your insurance papers.
With due attention to these tips and cooperation from the insurer, your home insurance claim will get approved soon. With the compensation and aid received, you can begin turning your damaged house into a beautiful home.
